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“JOB FARE,” DEC. 5KEY TO THE PREVIOUS SECOND GLANCE
DEC. 5
with a view of the glass-wrapped kitchen and its custom-made
wood grill — followed by a trip to the mezzanine for some sweets.
By the time you leave, you will have experienced 14 courses and
one of the most civilized and transporting restaurants in
Washington.
Signature dishes: Octopus salad, braised oxtail with foie gras
and truffles, rice flavored as if by the sea (although it’s vegan,
fragrant with plankton).
Basic cost: $210 for a 14-course menu.
Telling details: When I’m mulling wine, a server offers the
option of half-glasses. The chef chats up diners, giving Xiquet the
air of an intimate dinner party.
Nit: Bread gets its own course, but it’s the weakest link in an
otherwise luscious lineup.
Best for: People who miss dining in the more modern temples
of haute cuisine in Europe.2404 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-913-4671. xiquetdl.com. Open for indoor
dining Tuesday through Saturday night and Saturday lunch. Sound
check: 73 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility:
Arrangements can be made to accommodate wheelchair users on the
ground floor, but the nearest restroom involves stairs.with the best mop I know: Métier’s heavenly Parker House rolls. A
spirits cart rolls up, laden not just with after-dinner nips, but also
with a bouquet of sweet treats, a reminder of how pastry chefs
make life more worth living.
Signature dishes: Sweet potato cannelloni, Kuroge beef tartare
with red pepper flan and mushroom tempura, baby lamb with
smoked eggplant ratatouille.
Basic cost: $200 for a seven-course tasting menu.
Telling details: A page of “menu notes” describes each dish’s
inspiration. Celebrants receive a candle from the owners’ lifestyle
collection of wares.
Nit: The drink and wine list requires using a QR code (but how
cute that it’s in a frame).
Change due to the pandemic: Pre-dinner drinks and hors
d’oeuvres in the salon are suspended.
Best for: Diners who appreciate food that’s beautiful and
delicious but doesn’t dominate the conversation.
1015 Seventh St. NW. 202-737-7500. metierdc.com. Open for indoor
dining Wednesday through Sunday. Sound check: 77 decibels/Must
speak with raised voice. Accessibility: Consecutive doors lead to the foyer
and an elevator to the downstairs restaurant; ADA-compliant restroom.
XIQUET BY DANNY LLEDÓ
Am I in Spain? Chef Danny Lledó makes it feel that way with his
tasting menu, a parade of perfectly calibrated dishes that leave you
wanting nothing more than perhaps another serving of red
prawns from the coastal town of Denia — some of the most
spectacular seafood ever to cross my lips. Born in Maryland, Lledó
is the son of a Spanish chef and the maestro behind a restaurant
(say chee-KETT) that knows great ingredients don’t need much
manipulation. Thin coins of grilled octopus, grapes so sheer you
can read through them, bright orange “pearls” and saline caviar
add up to a breathtaking seafood salad.
The evening commences in the ground-floor bar with a
revivifying drink and a snack: “Ham of the sea,” a server poetically
announces a pungent slice of dried tuna loin. Next, guests are
escorted to the minimalist upstairs dining room — just six tables
ORIGINAL SECOND GLANCE PHOTO: RANDY MAYS